And the sad thing about it is that (i) they have so much mindshare they don't need to do that shit any more, and (ii) it probably makes the average person that would consider subscribing to an online networking tool less likely to consider buying LinkedIn Premium...
It blows my mind that linkedin exists. I believe its Zero to One that talks about how Reid realized rather than try to replace recruiters he made a tool to help them do their job.
Non recruiter/sales people use it as some type on online resume and look at how great I am page while recruiters get access to everyone they could ever want.
LinkedIn does have some non-recruiter customers, though. Like everyone else in the game, has also realized they could make a few bucks off the supply side.
Having trouble getting a job? Just pay us $20/month and more people will see your res... er, profile! Too bad visibility is not the solution those people need. Just one that is trivially implemented and easy to sell.
